UNC President Emeritus Tom Ross is the 2016 recipient of the University Award.

It is the highest honor given by the UNC Board of Governors and recognizes exceptional service to higher education in North Carolina; the award is coming from the same board that came under fire for removing Ross as System President over the last 12 months.

Ross was honored with a banquet Thursday where friends, family and NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson spoke about his accomplishments.

A Greensboro native, Ross graduated from Davidson College and the UNC – Chapel Hill School of Law. He became UNC System President in 2011 after serving as the president of Davidson and executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. He also served 17 years on the bench as a Superior Court Judge and worked as the director of the NC Administrative Office of the Courts.

Ross served as the UNC President from 2011-2016, during which time he recommended new chancellors for 11 UNC campuses and broadened system-wide efforts to maximize efficiencies such as expanding online offerings, promoting shared services and increasing private fundraising. He also commissioned the first statewide analysis of the economic impact of higher education in North Carolina, which affirmed UNC’s critical role as an economic driver for the state economy.

Ross’ other honors include the Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence, Distinguished Alumni Awards from both Davidson and the UNC – Chapel Hill School of Law and the UNC – Chapel Hill Alumni Association’s Distinguished Service Award.

He will continue his public service as the President of the Volker Alliance. On July 1, he joins the New York-based, non-partisan organization that seeks to advance effective implementation of public policies and rebuild the public’s trust in the government.

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